A statue in a Boston public park that depicted a formerly enslaved man on his knees in front of President Abraham Lincoln was dismantled last week, 141 years after it was erected. The removal of the Emancipation Group statue in Park Square comes months after the Boston Art Commission voted to remove it by the end of year. The decision came in June, at the height of nationwide protests that took place following the death of George Floyd, a Black man, by a white police officer. While highlighting systemic racism around the country, protesters also turned their attention to statues and monuments that praised the Confederate Army and its generals, presidents and soldiers, leading to the removal of many. While the Emancipation Group statue was initially meant to commemorate the liberation of slaves, critics said its depiction of the formerly enslaved man on his knees in front of a white man did little to celebrate his freedom. Tory Bullock, who helped push the petition for the statue's removal, said he also interpreted the monument in a negative light. According to CNN, the statue is a replica of one erected in Washington D.C. It's based on a picture of Archer Alexander, who was born into slavery.